Warm Calls for Loneliness in Aging Adults
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This PN-RCT replicates and evaluates an 8-week warm calling treatment (i.e. caring contacts) delivered to older adults receiving home and community-based services (HCBS; classified as "homebound") in 20-30 minute call "dosages", across 3 conditions, while adding in implementation science measures at multiple levels. Conditions include 2 treatment (i.e. treatment provided by helpers trained in a standardized and manualized Belongingness and Empathy training grounded in narrative reminiscence and the befriending literature (BE condition), and treatment provided by helpers trained in BE + a standardized, manualized, and evidence based suicide intervention training, the Aging Variant of LivingWorks ASIST (BE + ASIST condition), and 1 control (no treatment during the trial; opportunity to receive treatment after the 8 weeks). At the conclusion of treatment, acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, useability, and sustainability of the program will be evaluated by interventionists, senior center leadership, and regional leadership.
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
Inclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Treatment
Participants receive an 8-week warm calling treatment with call dosages delivered by trained providers
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for long-term impacts on social connections and connecting behaviors
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Standardized and manualized warm calls from providers trained in the BE training
- Standardized and manualized warm calls from providers trained in the BE training + ASIST training
How Is the Trial Designed?
3
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
BE condition which involves receiving call dosages from providers trained to foster belongingness and empathy (2 hours), grounded in the befriending literature35,36, and narrative reminiscence37. Aging Network Providers trained in BE provide a "small dose of sincere connection", through narrative reminiscence, and the "befriending" strategies. While the majority of the warm calling of BE WITH centers on this basic connections intervention, there is a brief module on suicide risk. While this basic "reciprocally caring relationships" treatment will be enough for the majority of participants, there will also be individuals who need more than connection, but rather targeted suicide intervention as approximately 20% of older adults receiving home and community-based services are at risk of suicide38.
BE + ASIST condition includes receiving call dosages from providers trained in BE + the aging variant of LivingWorks ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training)40. Those older adults assigned to this treatment condition will have both the connections intervention, as well as suicide interventions in the chance that a suicide intervention is needed.
Control group includes no treatment, or call dosages during the 8 weeks. Every two weeks graduate research students administer the measure set, just as they did for the 2 treatment conditions. However, after the 8 weeks, these older adult participants have the opportunity to receive the call dosages (delayed waitlist control).
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of Florida
Lead Sponsor
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Collaborator
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Collaborator
Georgia State University
Collaborator
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